It Started As A Game

Chapter 11-Silent

"Miss Peregrine! Miss Peregrine!" Emma yelled while running through the house, trying to find her headmistress.

"MISS P!" Olive screamed, trying to aid in finding the ymbryne. Then she fell down the stairs with another yell.

"You good?" Emma stood at the top of the stairs look in down at her. "Of course your not. But your pain doesn't matter right now. Hurry and find The Bird." Emma rushed off to check Miss Peregrine's study, walking past Olive and not bothering to help her up. Olive groaned and stood up, annoyed with Emma but knowing she was right. They had to find Miss P. She rushed off to check the kitchen, but then Emma yelled. "I FOUND HER!"

Emma rushed over to Olive, Miss P trailing behind, confused and concerned. "Has something happened? Why on earth are you two running around and yelling when you're fully aware that it's against the rules?"

"It's Y/n." Olive said. "She's in her room, refusing to leave. You need to go talk to her. It's important." Emma tried not to snicker as the headmistress walked upstairs with sudden urgency. "She'll murder us when she realizes it's not that serious." Olive spoke again when Miss Peregrine was out of earshot.

"She'll be in too much shock to do anything." Emma rolled her eyes and walked off, leaving Olive alone at the bottom of the stairs, unsure of what to do.

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"Darling? May I come in?" Alma stood outside your door, waiting for a response. She grew increasingly worried the longer she got no response. "Y/n, are you alright?" She knocked again. This time the door swung open. You said nothing but stepped to the side to allow her to enter the room, closing the door behind her when she did. "Emma and Olive came to find me, has something happened?" You shook your head and walked over to your bed, sitting down on the edge before just laying back on it.

"Something is definitely wrong. Wrong with me." You finally spoke.

"I'm sure that's not true. Why in birds name would you think that?"

"Why have you let the game go on?" You asked while staring at the ceiling, unwilling to look at the woman who now had a nervous demeanor.

"Well I suppose I don't mind it as much as I thought I would. Why? Do you not want to play anymore?" Alma tried to calm her nerves and keep her breathing steady as she focused solely on the floor. You laughed, making her look up at you.

"Of course I don't want to play! I never wanted to be in a fake relationship with you. I wanted to be in a real one." You grew quiet when you heard her breathing hitch. You braved a glance at her finding her hands balled into fists and her side. Her sharp nails dug into her palms, creating red marks and drawing a little blood as her head was bowed. Her eyes were locked intently on the floor as her brain tried its best to keep working.

Eventually she began breathing again, though it was unsteady. Her eyes began darting around, looking at everything except you. It was as though she found the last piece to the puzzle. Everything clicked and made sense now. How you'd stare at her when you thought she wasn't looking. And why you'd get so flustered when she first started using pet names for you. Hell, it was no doubt the reason Emma started the game.

Alma couldn't fully process it, not now anyway. She needed space to breathe more than anything because at the moment the tension in the air was slowly suffocating her. She turned and walked out of the room, going faster than her usual pace and nearly slamming the door behind her.

It hurt to see her react like that. You thought it fairly obvious that she didn't feel the same way now.

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Miss Peregrine walked past Olive who still stood at the bottom of the stairs, completely ignoring the girl when she greeted her. Olive grew worried when she saw her headmistress. Maybe the girl had been wrong about the woman's feelings towards you. And maybe it was her fault for the ymbrynes bad mood. She'd been one of the two to pressure you into telling her anyway.

Olive rushed back to your room, not bothering to get Emma beforehand. She didn't knock on your door, hearing your sobs and occasional yells from behind the door was all the invitation she needed. "Oh, Y/n.." She closed the door and looked around the room. You'd thrown a few things around, blinded by your own sadness. A vase had been broken in the middle of the floor, glass everywhere, water and a few flowers Fiona had made you lying there.

You had pictures of each one of the homes residences on your dresser. Olive noticed one was now lying face down. Upon further inspection she found that it was the photo of her headmistress. The glass from the frame had been horribly shattered and multiple pieces of sharp glass had fallen out on the dresser and nearby floor.

You'd hidden yourself away under your blanket, though it was clear you were still crying, no matter how hard you tried not to. "Y/n, what did she say?" Well that was kind of the problem, she didn't say anything. But you didn't bother to respond, instead throwing a pillow at Olive and hoping she'd get the message and leave. Luckily she did and went right back downstairs and banged on the door to her headmistresses study. She was allowed in and quickly rushed in and shut the door behind her. "What did you say to Y/n?!" Miss Peregrine was taken aback by this and didn't respond. "She's in her room crying because of you! What the fuck did you say to her?!"

Miss Peregrine would of course never allow Olive to curse, let alone at her, but she couldn't be bothered to scold her ward at the moment. Alma couldn't believe herself, she hadn't known how to respond and instead of communicating she just left. And now you probably assumed she hated you. "I.. I didn't..." For once, she couldn't find the right words. "Go outside with everyone else, Olive. Don't you dare tell anyone. I'll fix this, just.. Just give me a minute..."

Olive sighed and left as told, though not without slamming the door. She respected and loved her headmistress, but she was throughly pissed off with the woman at the moment. But she'd probably feel bad for cursing at her later. Alma sat there with her head in her hands for a long moment. Then there was another knock on her door. "Come in." She spoke in a monotone voice, not lifting her head from her hands.

"You look like you need a drink." Enoch said after he opened the door. "Geez, what happened? Olive just stormed into the yard and refuses to tell anyone what's up but she's clearly pissed."

"Nothing, Enoch. See your way back outside." He turned to leave but then a crash came from upstairs. He spared a small glance at his headmistress, who'd jumped out of her seat at the noise, and then ran out of the room and upstairs. Miss Peregrine was right behind him. "Enoch O'Connor, leave the house this instant! Get back here!" She chased him with surprising speed despite her limp.

Though he was a young boy and managed to reach your door first. He'd never been one for manners and yanked your door open without knocking. "Mr O'Connor, what did I tell you?!" Miss Peregrine shrieked, running over and pausing beside him in the doorway where he'd stopped. They both looked around the room. "Out." She spoke to the boy, cold and stern, no longer willing to deal with his antics. He seemed to sense the change and willingly left the room. Alma stepped in and closed the door, looking around again.

She saw the broken vase and the smashed framed photo of herself. And then she accidentally stepped on something with the back of her heel. She stepped back and picked up the frame. It's was a group photo of everyone. Ironically when Alma stepped on the frame, the glass cracked right over her own face. Though a few other cracks were evident, and that was probably from you throwing it onto the floor, along with a now completely shattered mirror that had probably been the cause of the loud crash from earlier.

"Y/n..?" She finally spoke.

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I'm an evil son of a bitch